Rabbi: I had a ‘positive’ impression of Abbas, but gov’t ‘must be built by people of Israel’

In a Channel 12 interview, Rabbi Chaim Druckman, who is the spiritual head of the far-right Religious Zionism party, recalls a recent meeting he held with Ra’am chief Mansour Abbas, whose support Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to form a government. However, Religious Zionism opposes joining a government propped up by the Islamist Ra’am party.

Druckman claims he doesn’t remember who set up the meeting with Abbas, but says when the idea of a sit-down was proposed, he had no problem meeting the Ra’am leader.

“We talked a little about his views, what he wants in the Knesset, general things. I tried a little to get into the details but the answers were general,” he says.

Concerning Abbas himself, Druckman says he had a “positive impression” of the Ra’am head, but says his opposition remains the same.

“The government of Israel must be built by the people of Israel. This isn’t a Knesset of all citizens that have representatives and looks out for their affairs, but whoever rules the government, this is the people of Israel,” he says.

Druckman also comments on his conversations with Netanyahu.

“I can’t say how many times he called, but they called… not just him. I told him no to a government like this,” he says, referring to a potential coalition backed by Ra’am.